Alliance MP brands loyalist protesters 'cowardly' over Dublin street theatre

Stephen Farry made his comments in response to a small number of loyalists who took part in a theatrical protest at Leinster House – the seat of the Irish Government – on Saturday.

The protest took the form of a ‘funeral’ procession to mark what the Let’s Talk Loyalism group claims was the death of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement on the signing of the Northern Ireland Protocol in 2021.

In an accompanying statement, the group said: “The Irish Government helped create the NI Protocol as a punishment beating for the UK daring to leave the European Union. They must take responsibility for the death of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement”.

The group also tweeted: “Loyalist anti-protocol demonstrations have made their way to Dublin on the day Leo Varadkar becomes Prime Minister. Our message to the new Irish Prime Minister [Leo Varadkar] is this - Northern Ireland will not have the will of the Irish Government imposed upon it. The Agreement is dead.”

In response to that tweet, which included a video clip of the protest, North Down MP Mr Farry said: “Only message here is people too cowardly to show their faces.”

Asked by the News Letter on Sunday if he stood over his assertion that those involved were cowardly, Mr Farry said: “People who have to wear masks to deliver a political message are cowardly.”

One typical response from loyalists on Twitter was: “Imagine calling people cowardly because they hold an opposing political viewpoint. If this provocative language was used by the MP for North Down about anyone other than members of the unionist community, there would be calls for his resignation.”

Loyalist commentator Jamie Bryson said: “The question must be asked, does Mr Farry extend his condemnation of such street theatre protests to the identical Relatives for Justice protests held recently?“If not, then it would be welcome if Mr Farry could explain how he differentiates, and why. It surely can’t be the case that it’s ‘nationalist protest is good, but loyalist protest is bad?’“Nevertheless, it could have been worse. The protestors could have worn Linfield shirts. One can only imagine the anger that would have triggered in Mr Farry.”